Changes coming to site of McFarland Mall

Shopping center plans to add restaurants, demolish old stores

Construction work continues on the new Cheddar's restaurant in front of Encore Tuscaloosa, formerly known as McFarland Mall, on Skyland Boulevard in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday.

Dusty Compton | The Tuscaloosa News

By Jason MortonStaff Writer

Published: Thursday, December 27, 2012 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, December 26, 2012 at 11:48 p.m.

TUSCALOOSA | New restaurants, the demolition of Dillard's and a possible new site for Books-A-Million are some of the changes in the works at McFarland Mall, now dubbed Encore Tuscaloosa by its new owner, developer Stan Pate.

Cheddar's Casual Cafe, a Midwest-based restaurant franchise that's beginning its first forays into the southeastern and northeastern U.S., is planning for a late April opening.

Cheddars' nearly 8,000-square-foot building is under construction now and, once complete, the investment of more than $3 million will have a seating capacity of more than 275.

“Cheddars will bring a new dining experience to Tuscaloosa with a from-scratch kitchen, quality foods and service at a fair price, all in a polished, casual environment,” said Michael Pacini, a real estate consultant for the restaurant chain that began in 1979.

Pacini said that Cheddar's has been looking to enter the Tuscaloosa market for about three years because of the high number of college students and steady population growth spawned by industries such as

Mercedes-Benz U.S. International near Vance.

Authentic Austin rock will line the entrance and gas lamps will surround the doorway, Pacini said.

“When you get in, you're just not going to believe the bang for your buck,” he said.

Menu prices for the American cuisine include no entree priced above $15 and plenty of offerings for under $10.

Demolition on the former Dillard's at McFarland Mall is planned to start in the coming weeks, and Pate said Dec. 21 that he was intending to sign that day a contract with Texas Roadhouse, a steak house restaurant chain with a Southwestern theme, for the development he purchased in May 2009.

But it is Cheddar's that, at this point, people are starting to notice.

“It's going to be a great addition to casual dining in Tuscaloosa,” Pate said. “They're enjoying phenomenal success across the country as they open stores.”

The challenge, he said, is luring retail developers in a struggling economy.

Pate said several well-known retailers, including Bed, Bath & Beyond and Kohl's, have expressed interest in entering the Tuscaloosa market.

The difficulty, however, is making the numbers work.

“Retail is still having a tough time,” he said. “All you've got to do is read about Christmas sales and the fiscal cliff and a possible recession and that makes it very difficult to do comprehensive retail development. ...

“Not just in Tuscaloosa, but across the country.”

Books-A-Million and T.J. Maxx have expressed interest in remaining in the development, although Pate said the free-standing building that now houses the bookstore will go away.

And Bed, Bath & Beyond, in particular, has contacted Pate's development company several times, but so far have been unable to make the numbers work out.

“We've got tremendous interest from retailers,” he said.

One avenue he's yet to approach is the recently overhauled economic incentives available through City Hall, which now offer tax rebates and similar refunds to large, qualified developments.

Pate said that he's encouraged by the City Council's willingness to change the rules in order to better accommodate corporate enterprise amid the tornado recovery efforts.

“I see very positive signs out of City Hall that they see what it's going to take for the community to reach its full commercial potential given the current economic climate,” Pate said.

McFarland Mall opened in 1969 and was the third enclosed mall in Alabama. For decades, it was a major shopping destination in West Alabama, but has been in decline for the past decade. The McFarland family, which had developed and owned the mall, sold the property to Pate in 2009. The location at the intersection of McFarland and Skyland boulevards is visible from and close to Interstate 20/59.

<p>TUSCALOOSA | New restaurants, the demolition of Dillard's and a possible new site for Books-A-Million are some of the changes in the works at McFarland Mall, now dubbed Encore Tuscaloosa by its new owner, developer Stan Pate.</p><p>Cheddar's Casual Cafe, a Midwest-based restaurant franchise that's beginning its first forays into the southeastern and northeastern U.S., is planning for a late April opening.</p><p>Cheddars' nearly 8,000-square-foot building is under construction now and, once complete, the investment of more than $3 million will have a seating capacity of more than 275.</p><p>“Cheddars will bring a new dining experience to Tuscaloosa with a from-scratch kitchen, quality foods and service at a fair price, all in a polished, casual environment,” said Michael Pacini, a real estate consultant for the restaurant chain that began in 1979.</p><p>Pacini said that Cheddar's has been looking to enter the Tuscaloosa market for about three years because of the high number of college students and steady population growth spawned by industries such as </p><p>Mercedes-Benz U.S. International near Vance.</p><p>Authentic Austin rock will line the entrance and gas lamps will surround the doorway, Pacini said.</p><p>“When you get in, you're just not going to believe the bang for your buck,” he said.</p><p>Menu prices for the American cuisine include no entree priced above $15 and plenty of offerings for under $10.</p><p>Demolition on the former Dillard's at McFarland Mall is planned to start in the coming weeks, and Pate said Dec. 21 that he was intending to sign that day a contract with Texas Roadhouse, a steak house restaurant chain with a Southwestern theme, for the development he purchased in May 2009.</p><p>But it is Cheddar's that, at this point, people are starting to notice.</p><p>“It's going to be a great addition to casual dining in Tuscaloosa,” Pate said. “They're enjoying phenomenal success across the country as they open stores.”</p><p>The challenge, he said, is luring retail developers in a struggling economy.</p><p>Pate said several well-known retailers, including Bed, Bath & Beyond and Kohl's, have expressed interest in entering the Tuscaloosa market.</p><p>The difficulty, however, is making the numbers work.</p><p>“Retail is still having a tough time,” he said. “All you've got to do is read about Christmas sales and the fiscal cliff and a possible recession and that makes it very difficult to do comprehensive retail development. ...</p><p>“Not just in Tuscaloosa, but across the country.”</p><p>Books-A-Million and T.J. Maxx have expressed interest in remaining in the development, although Pate said the free-standing building that now houses the bookstore will go away.</p><p>And Bed, Bath & Beyond, in particular, has contacted Pate's development company several times, but so far have been unable to make the numbers work out.</p><p>“We've got tremendous interest from retailers,” he said.</p><p>One avenue he's yet to approach is the recently overhauled economic incentives available through City Hall, which now offer tax rebates and similar refunds to large, qualified developments.</p><p>Pate said that he's encouraged by the City Council's willingness to change the rules in order to better accommodate corporate enterprise amid the tornado recovery efforts.</p><p>“I see very positive signs out of City Hall that they see what it's going to take for the community to reach its full commercial potential given the current economic climate,” Pate said.</p><p>McFarland Mall opened in 1969 and was the third enclosed mall in Alabama. For decades, it was a major shopping destination in West Alabama, but has been in decline for the past decade. The McFarland family, which had developed and owned the mall, sold the property to Pate in 2009. The location at the intersection of McFarland and Skyland boulevards is visible from and close to Interstate 20/59.</p><p>Reach Jason Morton at jason.morton@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0200.</p>